If you want your company to get noticed by about 25 top celebrities – you might want to pay the $4,000 USD inclusion fee and the cost of the products to take a chance and get noticed. As far as PR – it’s worth a shot. No guarantee but if you have a PR budget – this is good PR.
The swag bag is unofficial but gets into the hands. It’s called the “Everyone Wins” gift bag. It is produced by LA based PR company Distinctive Assets which distributes them to the top acting nominees, those up for best director and the host. This year the host again on is Jimmy Kimmel who alway does a great job. Host network is ABC again as always. This gift bag is not in any way associated with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences but it is a good ticket in town for those nominees because even if they loose they get the bag that is fun to to rifle though. A lawsuit in 2016 sited trademark infringement and said the company must confirm that the bags have no official tie to the Oscars, which they do now include. Every year the press release for this bag, which is put together by the private company says: “AMPAS does not award, sponsor, endorse or provide. these gift bags.”
About 70 companies this year donated gifts and pay a fee to get in, just over $4,000.00 USD. Distinctive Assets founder, Lash Fary, who I have known for years and have covered this bag, puts this together and is one very organized and smart guy. Last year’s bag was estimated at $125,000 but Lash does not give an exact figure for this years bag – says it is comparable (which means not quite as much likely is my deduction as it’s better not to give a figure if it is down from a previous year but that is just my personal feeling) He says it is worth six figures. The companies hope that getting their brands into the hands of the years biggest celebrities will help their company. How they can deduce this is ever easy but it’s worth a shot. Fary says he hopes this years bag spotlights small businesses, minority0-owned brands, female owned brands and companies that give back.
The most expensive gift this year is a trip to a Swiss chalet. Also included is three nights in St. Barts, products for dogs and cats. For cats, raw dehydrated super food from Canadian band Smack. For Dogs – for each recipient of gift bag, the plant-based company V-dog will donate 10,000 canine meals to Peta’s Global Compassion Fund. Health and grooming items make up the majority of the items including skincare products, microneedling, topical glutathione, liver pills, gluten-free cashew cookies, sugar-free cherry gummies, a collagen peptide drink mix as well as tequila and gin. Some things you want and somethings you don’t need but at least the company gets it’s product seen by over about 25 huge celebrity eyeballs and more so – it’s great for PR bragging rights for any company to be able to SAY – they are in this years Oscars swag bag. Even though its not the official bag which must be included. But the fact is, this bag gets into the hands of the big names and that is truly what matters to get your brand into the hands you hope can maybe somehow help your brand. Also included in the bag are a color 3D selfie figurine from Hawii-based company Dooplikit, portable purse seats, blenders, and an infrared grill, a tuning fork, a Rubik cube 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, a Children’s book of kindness and empathy (much needed for today’s world) gratitude post cards, and a self help guide called Glow. Also included is a private show from a mentalist who does shows in LA and has been called ‘the mentalist to the stars” Dr Carl Christman who is a communications professor and mentalist who performs at LA’s Magic Castle and specializes in mind-reading. HE – definitely would make for great LA dinner party for the entertainment.
